Deerfield River Whitewater Release Schedules

There are 10 hydroelectric dams along the 73-mile length of the Deerfield River, earning it its nickname, "The Hardest Working River". The river originates in southern Vermont where the two largest storage reservoirs, Somerset and Harriman, are located. These two reservoirs are managed on an annual cycle. In early spring they are generally at their lowest, having been used to produce hydropower through the winter and in anticipation of the spring snowmelt and rain. They fill to their highest levels by mid June. For the months of July and August the utility company utilizes the water stored in them to produce power to meet the peak summer demand. Throughout the fall and winter the reservoirs are drawn progressively lower until the early spring, when the cycle starts over again.

Most of the dams on the river report their daily release forecasts through Waterline, an online and phone-based release reporting system:

#2 Dam This is the lowest dam on the river; #1 was planned, but never built. Class I-II at a flow below the dam of 600 cfs.

The most heavily used section of the river by kayakers, canoeists, whitewater rafters, and others, is the section below Fife Brook Dam. This section is the longest undammed stretch on the Deerfield River and there is a schedule of water releases below Fife Brook that includes 106 days from April through October. The power company often releases water on unscheduled days as well to meet peak power demands.

The Waterline flow forecast for Fife Brook gives the time they expect to be releasing from the dam, but if you plan to put in at Zoar Gap or at another location well downstream of the dam, you need to add time to the dam release time in order to allow for the time it takes the water release, known as the "bubble" to move downstream. Depending on the release level (higher releases move downstream more quickly) the rate at which the release moves downstream will vary somewhat, but it generally moves at between 2 1/2 and 3 miles an hour downstream. Following is a chart showing approximate times the water release reaches certain locations on the river:

Release Level

Deerfield River Location

Approximate Time to Add

700 cfs

Hoosac Tunnel

45 minutes

Bridge to Nowhere

1 hour

Zoar Gap

2 hours 10 minutes

Shunpike Rest Area

3 hours 45 minutes

Zoar Outdoor

4 hours

Academy at Charlemont

6 hours

East Charlemont Boat Ramp

7 hours

900 cfs

Hoosac Tunnel

35 minutes

Bridge to Nowhere

50 minutes

Zoar Gap

2 hours

Shunpike Rest Area

3 hours 30 minutes

Zoar Outdoor

3 hours 45 minutes

Academy at Charlemont

5 hours 45 minutes

East Charlemont Boat Ramp

6 hours 45 minutes

2017 Deerfield River Release Schedule

32 scheduled releases. Friday releases are for four hours and begin at 11 a.m. Saturday releases last five hours and begin at 10 a.m. Sunday releases are four hours beginning at 10 a.m. Flows vary from 900-1100 cfs.